Vertical mold assembly

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides an assembly of vertical slabcasting molds in which each of a plurality of vertical molds in said assembly may be removed therefrom. The vertical molds are positioned over at least two sets of rails. Each of said molds is moved on at least two wheel assemblies. One of said wheel assemblies is on one set of rails and the other wheel assembly is on the other set of rails. Each set of rails contains at least two parallel tracks. Each wheel assembly moves on one track and the wheel assemblies of adjacent molds are positioned on adjacent tracks forming a staggered relationship relative to each other. Each wheel assembly moves on one track and is sufficiently low so that it may move under the vertical molds.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Klaus Hartmann Hamburg, Germany [2l]Appl. No. 844,076 [22] Filed July 23, 1969 [45] Patented Dee. 2l, 1971[73] Assignee Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg AG Augsburg, GermanyContinuation of application Ser. No. 863,728, June 2, 1969, nowabandoned. This application July 23, 1969, Ser. No. 844,076

[54] VERTICAL MOLD ASSEMBLY 10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 249/129, 104/246, 249/131, 249/162 [51] lm. cl. zsb 7/26 Y[50] Field o1 Search 249/119-121, 125, 126, 129, 160-162, 163, 167;104/246 ['56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 539,209 5/1895Adams 164/350 860,847 7/1907 Beecher 104/246 1,235,858 8/1917 Tanner249/125 1,324,893 12/1919 Hammond. 104/246 1,373,992 4/1921 Benjamin104/246 [lll 3,628,766

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Primary Examiner-J. Spencer Overholser Assistant Examiner-Ben D. ToborAttorney-Bauer and Goodman ABSTRACT: The present invention provides anassembly of vertical slab-casting molds in which each of a plurality ofvertical molds in said assembly may be removed therefrom. The verticalmolds are positioned over at least two sets of rails. Each of said moldsis moved on at least two wheel assemblies. One of said wheel assembliesis on one set of rails and the other wheel assembly is on the other setof rails. Each set of rails contains at least two parallel tracks. Eachwheel assembly moves on one track and the wheel assemblies of adjacentmolds are positioned on adjacent tracks forming a staggered relationshiprelative to each other. Each wheel assembly moves on one track and issufficiently low so that it may move under the vertical molds.

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,4 l i (fw I H 7 i X4 INVENTOR KLAUS HARTMANN BY 5W e'S-Qkk ATTORNEYSFATENTEU 0m! M SHEET 3 UF 3 VERTICAL MOLD ASSEMBLY This application is acontinuation application of U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 863,728,filed June 2, 1969, and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The manufacture of large cast slabs,generally cement or concrete, used in building constructions, aredisclosed to be manufactured in a multiple vertical mold assemblyforming a battery. It is also known to arrange the individual molds in lgenerally side by side relationship and to support the molds on -twoparallel rails. This functions to permit accurate alignment Movablemolds on carriages,which are suitable for use as .forms in theproduction of concrete walls, have been disclosed in Gennari utilitymodel 1,935,741. However, the mold carriage utilized is not suitable formolds which are to be assembled as a battery.

The manufacture of plates utilizing horizontal palettes as disclosed inFrench Pat. specification No. 1,343,461 utilizes palettes equipped withundercarriages movable on rails to more readily supply the palettes tothe different manufacturing stations. This manufacturing methodnecessitates a stationary installation occupying a large area which mayonly be moved at considerably expense.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an assembly ofmultiple vertical slab molds which are readily manipulated as separatemolds and which may be readily assembled into a battery.

BRIEF SUMMARYv OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides anassembly of vertical slabcasting molds comprising a plurality ofvertical molds assembled in side-by-side relationship, said verticalmolds being positioned over at least two parallel sets of rails witheach set of rails disposed on opposite sides of the centerline of saidmolds; each of said molds being adapted to be moved on at least twowheel assemblies, one wheel assembly being on each set of rails; eachset of rails comprising at least two parallel tracks; each of said wheelassemblies being adapted to move on one track and being of asufficiently low height that they may move under said molds; and thewheel assemblies of adjacent molds are positioned on adjacent tracksforming a staggered relationship relative to each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS means for moving the molds;

FIG. 7 is asection of the middle portion of the battery in lperspective.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the drawings, the three basesupport girders l support a battery 30. A fixed rear sidewall mold 2 ispositioned at the back of battery 30 against back support frame 3 whichis rigidly fixed to the rear of said base girders l.

Double T-section members 4 are arranged between the base girders I. Onlyone side girder l and the middle girder 1 are illustrated in FIGS. 2 and3. The double T-section members 4 have a wide bottom flange 4a servingas a support surface with the upright section 4b joining the uppernarrow flange 4c. Track rails 5 and 6 are supported on the wide flange4a. Rollers 7 and 8 of wheel assemblies 9 and 10 are mounted on trackrails 5 and 6 respectively.

The wheel assemblies support and move the sidewall mold l1. Eachsidewall mold 11 contains vertical hollow plates and forms the sidewallsof two slabs being cast, one on each side of mold ll. Vibrating elements25 or heating elements 26 are positioned in the hollow spaces betweenthe two sidewalls forming the mold element or in recesses in thesidewalls of the mold element l1 so that the walls are effective eitheras vibrating walls 11n or as heating walls 11H. The sidewalls may eachbe equipped with vibrating devices or with heating devices or with acombination of both. The vibrating elements 25 and/or the heaterelements 26 are positioned to be accessible from above or from the endof the sidewall mold 1I.

Each sidewall mold 11 is equipped withat least two wheel assemblies,each of which has two rollers. In the embodiment illustrated in thedrawings, wheel assembly 9 consists of two U-section rails 27 and 28mounted on roller 7. Wheel assembly 10 is similarly mounted on roller 8.

With particular reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the drawings illustratethe arrangement of adjacent wheel assemblies 9 and l0, which supportadjacent sidewall molds 1l" and 11, in a staggered relationship. Theheighth of the wheel assembly may be varied by insertion of shims 12(FIG. 4). The height is adjusted so that the wheel assemblies can bemoved beneath the adjacent mold elements, for example mold element 11R.lt is possible to provide suicient stability to each sidewall element 1lby appropriate spacing l (in FIG. 5) ofthe wheels.

The lower inwardly disposed flanges 13 and I4 of wheel assemblies 9 and10 respectively are positioned beneath the upper flange 4c of the.double T-section member 4. The flanges 13 and 14 act as supports whichsafeguard the sidewall molds l1 against tilting when subjected torelatively large lateral forces, for example those produced by gusts ofwind. These flanges 13 and 14 also function to guide the sidewall mold11 along the upright member 4b. Optionally, separate guide rollers maybe provided for this purpose.

The edge walls 15 which define the periphery of the slab mold may befixed on the sidewall molds Il and/or on the wheel assemblies 9 and l0,or may also be loosely inserted between adjacent sidewall molds ll. Thefastening of the bottom edge wall 1S and the end edge walls 15 to thesidewalls 11 or to the wheel assemblies 9 or 10 has the advantage thatthe completed cast concrete slabs can be moved together with thesidewall molds 11, and thus the battery or a portion thereof may bewithdrawn as a unit.

The bracing of all the sidewall molds l1 and l5 is effected by pressureforces which are transmitted by the base girders l and by the tie rods16 arranged near the upper edge of the battery of molds. The tie rods 16are pivotally mounted on the fixed back mold 2. When the molds aresufficiently large to cast long concrete slabs, other tie rods may alsobe used, for example tie rod 17, illustrated in FIG. 2.

Front sidewall mold 18 is also provided with wheel assemblies such asthose provided for sidewall molds ll, and is constructed to function asa stable pressure plate for transmitting the forces supporting andbracing the battery of sidewall molds.

Hydraulic means 19 and 20 are arranged on front mold 2 as illustrated inFIGS. 1, 2 and 6 to provide the pressure to brace the molds. Optionally,they may be positioned on back mold 2.

To move and separate sidewall molds 11 quickly, the lower hydraulicmeans 20 are supported on countersupports 2l which may be pivotedlaterally so that the molds 11 may move over them.

Mold elements 11 are attached to and removed by chain 22 which is drivenby chain winch 23.

The construction of the present invention provides an assembly ofvertical molds of relatively economic construction. This is accomplishedutilizing supporting and pressure application means which are not ofcomplicated design and manufacture.

lclaim:

l. An assembly of vertical slab-casting molds comprising a plurality ofvertical molds assembled in side by side relationship,

said vertical molds being positioned over at least two parallel sets ofrails, with each set of rails disposed on opposite sides ofthecenterline of said molds,

each of said molds supported by at least two wheel assemblies, one wheelassembly being on each set of rails,

each set of rails comprising at least two parallel tracks,

each of said wheel assemblies being wider than the mold supportedthereon and having a front wheel and a rear wheel supported by one trackand being of a sufficiently low height that they may move under saidmolds, and

the wheel assemblies of adjacent molds are positioned on adjacent tracksforming a staggered relationship relative to each other.

2. The assembly of vertical molds of claim l wherein said rails aredisposed substantially perpendicular to said molds and wherein theheight of said wheel assemblies is adjusted to support said mold byinsertion of shims between the tops of said wheel assembly and thebottom of said mold.

3. The assembly of vertical molds of claim 2 wherein an uprightT-section rail is mounted between the parallel tracks of each of saidset of rails, and wherein each of said wheel asn semblies has a lateralprojection in the direction of said T-section rail and positioned toengage under the upper flange of said T-section rail.

4. The assembly of vertical molds of claim 3 wherein said T- sectionrail is the upper portion of a double T-section rail having wide opposedbottom flanges which form the supporting surface upon which are mountedsaid parallel tracks.

5. The assembly of vertical molds of claim 4 wherein the central uprightportion of the T-section rail functions as the guide means forcontrolling the movement of said wheel assemblies.

6. The assembly of vertical molds of claim 5 having at least two basesupport girders supporting said molds; having a back vertical wall moldpositioned at the rear of the assembly and rigidly attached to the rearof said base support girders; and having tie rods in the upper portionof said assembly and positioned substantially across said verticalmolds, whereby said base support girders and said tie rods function tosupport and transmit the forced utilized to brace the vertical molds,

7. The assembly of vertical molds of claim 6 wherein said tie rods arepivotally mounted on said fixed back vertical wall mold.

8. The assembly of vertical molds of claim 7 having a movable frontvertical wall mold which also functions as a stable thrust plate forsupporting said assembly.

9. The assembly of vertical molds of claim 8 having hydraulic devices onat least the front or the back vertical mold to produce the forcesupporting said assembly.

l0. The assembly of vertical molds of claim 9 wherein said hydraulicdevices are pivotally mounted on the front of said base support girders.

1. An assembly of vertical slab-casting molds comprising a plurality ofvertical molds assembled in side by side relationship, said verticalmolds being positioned over at least two parallel sets of rails, witheach set of rails disposed on opposite sides of the centerline of saidmolds, each of said molds supported by at least two wheel assemblies,one wheel assembly being on each set of rails, each set of railscomprising at least two parallel tracks, each of said wheel assembliesbeing wider than the mold supported thereon and having a front wheel anda rear wheel supported by one track and being of a sufficiently lowheight that they may move under said molds, and the wheel assemblies ofadjacent molds are positioned on adjacent tracks forming a staggeredrelationship relative to each other.
 2. The assembly of vertical moldsof claim 1 wherein said rails are disposed substantially perpendicularto said molds and wherein the height of said wheel assemblies isadjusted to support said mold by insertion of shims between the tops ofsaid wheel assembly and the bottom of said mold.
 3. The assembly ofvertical molds of claim 2 wherein an upright T-section rail is mountedbetween the parallel tracks of each of said set of rails, and whereineach of said wheel assemblies has a lateral projection in the directionof said T-section rail and positioned to engage under the upper flangeof said T-section rail.
 4. The assembly of vertical molds of claim 3wherein said T-section rail is the upper portion of a double T-sectionrail having wide opposed bottom flanges which form the supportingsurface upon which are mounted said parallel tracks.
 5. The assembly ofvertical molds of claim 4 wherein the central upright portion of theT-section rail functions as the guide means for controlling the movementof said wheel assemblies.
 6. The assembly of vertical molds of claim 5having at least two base support girders supporting said molds; having aback vertical wall mold positioned at the rear of the assembly andrigidly attached to the rear of said base support girders; and havingtie rods in the upper portion of said assembly and positionedsubstantially across said vertical molds, whereby said base supportgirders and said tie rods function to support and transmit the forcedutilized to brace the vertical molds.
 7. The assembly of vertical moldsof claim 6 wherein said tie rods Are pivotally mounted on said fixedback vertical wall mold.
 8. The assembly of vertical molds of claim 7having a movable front vertical wall mold which also functions as astable thrust plate for supporting said assembly.
 9. The assembly ofvertical molds of claim 8 having hydraulic devices on at least the frontor the back vertical mold to produce the force supporting said assembly.10. The assembly of vertical molds of claim 9 wherein said hydraulicdevices are pivotally mounted on the front of said base support girders.